The quality of air in the cabin/cockpit of an aircraft is controlled through a ventilation system that combines various air sources, such as bleed air and filtered, recirculated air. Occurrences of hazardous smells, odors, or smoke are systematically reported by operator crews. Such events may occur during flight or ground operation. The sources of smoke and smell are variable and typically hard to identify. Pilot experience is often relied upon to determine which air source is providing the contamination and how to address the issue, combined with aircraft operating procedures. An inability to eliminate odor/smoke may cause the need for a flight diversion, flight cancellation, or emergency landing to ensure the safety of passengers and crew, which leads to inconvenience and increased costs.
Therefore, there is a need to address this issue.